“Bridging Science, Policy and Business —
A Personal Journey”
July 27, 2026 10:00-11:00 CEST / 17:00-18:00 JST
in English – free event – via Zoom
- Introduction:
Prof. Dr. Dietrich Albert, EJEA Chairperson and University of Graz (Austria) - Moderation:
Arnold Ackerer, EJEA Member and ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA Tokyo (Japan)
Sabine Ganter-Richter, EJEA Executive Manager and Network for Science (Germany)
Prof. Dr. Yuko Harayama
Secretary General of the Global Partnership on AI (GPAI) Tokyo Expert Support Center,
&
former Executive Director for International Affairs at RIKEN (Japan)
Most careers unfold inside a single world. Mine has been rather unusual: for five decades I have crossed scientific disciplines, organisations and countries with no predetermined plan — and I continue to do so.
Looking back, I see that these experiences were never isolated; they have been mutually reinforcing.
The crossings taught me that difference is a source of inspiration and a driver for action; that a career can be built through a continuing process of “learning-by-experiencing”; and that the most interesting and compelling challenges lie precisely outside the well-known boxes.
I will illustrate how I arrived at this conviction through my most recent experience — working in the field of artificial intelligence (AI).
Drawing on a life lived between Japan and Europe, and beyond, this talk is an invitation to find, and learn from, your own crossings.
Dr. Yuko Harayama serves as Secretary General of the Global Partnership on AI (GPAI) Tokyo Expert Support Center, where she leads international collaboration on artificial intelligence governance and policy. She currently holds positions as a trustee of Yamaguchi University ad board member of Toray Industries.
Dr. Harayama brings extensive experience from senior roles across government, international organizations, and academia. She previously served as Executive Director for International Affairs at RIKEN and held key positions in Japan’s Cabinet Office as Executive Member of the Council for Science, Technology and Innovation. Her international expertise was further developed during her tenure as Deputy Director of the Directorate for Science, Technology and Industry at the OECD. In academia, she was a professor at Tohoku University’s Graduate School of Engineering for a decade.
She is a Légion d’Honneur recipient (Chevalier) and holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Neuchâtel. She is an International Fellow of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences and a Foundation Fellow of the International Science Council. She holds a doctorate in education and a doctorate in economics, both from the University of Geneva.n working for the European Commission since 2012 and contributed as an assistant to the work of Deputy Directors General and the former Director-General before joining the international unit five years ago.